


Contingency plan: we don’t ahve one

by golden_kaori, jimatoshi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Lots of platonic fluff, Marked gen cause yamayachi isn't really together, Partly chat fic, Team Bonding, Texting, Yachi receives love and appreciation from everyone, they're just cute around each other a lot and obviously pin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-27 19:15:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20051164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/golden_kaori/pseuds/golden_kaori, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jimatoshi/pseuds/jimatoshi
Summary: Yachi has been nervous lately. Emotionally constipated yet observant Kageyama points it out and him and oblivious empath Hinata start a plan something to cheer her up.





	Contingency plan: we don’t ahve one

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SpaceKettleChips](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceKettleChips/gifts).

_“Spill. How long has this ruse been going on for?”_

The four first years keep quiet as Suga stares them down. The atmosphere in the empty gym feels oddly oppressive, especially this late after sunset.

“I don’t remember.” Kageyama tries to lie, but unfortunately, he isn’t good at going against authority. “Two weeks ago.”

“You’re wrong! It was more than two weeks ago.” 

“Why do I have to be grouped with these idiots?”

“I think the whole operation has been going on for around five days?”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi. Calling it an operation will make them think it was somehow smart.”

“Sorry, Tsukki.”

Suga raises his eyebrow, the one that makes his mole wiggle a little. Hinata can’t help himself, letting a chuckle escape, which is a mistake. Even if he’s never seen his senpai angry (and he is very much not in the mood to discover it now), he knows that look in his eyes, the one that means business, like that time he and Kageyama were practicing receives and managed to send most of their ball supply flying up to the second floor. Or that time when he had gotten so nervous about going to the bathroom at nationals and having one of his very well known encounters with dangerous people that he almost fainted of dehydration within the first set of the first game. Or that time he shoved Narita and he fell to the ground face first. (It was an accident! He was racing Kageyama and he had the lead!)

Ok, he had to admit he’s only seen that face on Suga when he caught them doing something really stupid and was in a bad mood, or tired, or he was the only authority figure in sight. He calls it the 'explain yourself’ face. You know, like when he’s playing with Natsu and his mom finds the mess and tells him, _ I’m not mad, I just want to know what happened _ which is code for _ I’m very mad and everything you say can and will be held against you._ Doesn’t that sound cool? Studying law and ethics with Yachi has paid off.

Oh, right, Yachi, the subject matter.

“We can explain everything, but it may take a while.”

“I promise it’s nothing shady.”

Suga doesn’t buy their half-assed excuse and drifts the_ look _ from them to honestly, the most reasonable person present.

“It isn’t anything bad.” Yamaguchi tries to put up a case in favor of the two fools. “Maybe it’s just that the execution has been flawed.”

Everyone looks at Tsukishima, and Hinata is certain that he’ll feign ignorance, but instead, another sigh comes. He wonders if Tsukishima is like one of those long balloons and with each sigh, he deflates a little. He hopes that’s the case. “Do you think I would associate myself with these two if there wasn’t a good reason behind?”

Suga makes a pensive noise and his stare relaxes for the most part. “I can’t accuse you of anything, but you have been weird these days. Weirder than usual, of course.” Now he’s the one who can’t contain a chuckle, but hey! That’s a good sign, right? “Regardless, arriving almost on the clock and leaving as fast as you can, whispering amongst yourselves when you think no one is looking, and now you’re asking for the keys? There is something fishy going on.”

“As I said earlier, that is because of those two dumbasses. Why do Yamaguchi and I have to be kept back?”

Suga’s serious demeanor morphs into a cheeky grin, easily rivaling and defeating Tsukishima’s in smugness. “Well, forget that you just confessed to knowing what’s up. You think we gave you the keys because ‘we were making sure practice would start on time’? These are the volleyball freaks we’re talking about! Kageyama and Hinata would arrive at 5 am daily if given the chance.” At this, Tsukishima’s eye twitches and the freak duo’s lit up. “Don’t you dare think about it.”

“So, what I’m getting is that this was a trap?” Yamaguchi interjects with a careful tone.

“Basically.”

“Then why are you questioning us? Don't you already know about the plan by now?”

“I do have to admit that I did hear some of it, but I still want you all to tell me the details. But most importantly,” he says as he sits on the floor, leaning close to them with a mischievous grin, “I want in.”

* * *

Scrambling down the hallway, an orange ball of fluff can be seen racing towards class 1-5. The unsuspecting students barely manage to avoid colliding as they’re being notified by an incoming voice screaming “Yachi!”. Hinata, not so much arrives, as he crashes against the poor classroom’s door, looking for a specific familiar face. 

He welcomes himself and dashes to Yachi’s place, only to find it empty and with no lunch waiting for her on her desk. He tightly holds the notebook he intended to give back, turns around, and spots someone he may recognize as one of Yachi’s friends. 

“Hey, have you seen Yachi?” He doesn’t even introduce himself, but his bright smile makes up for it as a sympathetic apology.

“Oh, Yachi?” The girl ponders trying to avoid eye contact. “Well, yes, I saw her in class, but if I remember correctly, she got up and left as soon as the bell rang.” Hinata doesn’t wait to hear her finish the sentence as he’s already thanking her and sprinting towards his new objective.

As expected, Kageyama is at his desk, drinking his milk or yogurt or whatever he is always having. Hinata swears Kageyama’s diet consists of 90% that and the other 30% is sports beverages or something.

“Get up and help me find Yachi.” Kageyama knits his brow and glares at him, which probably meant that he was surprised out of thought, though Hinata was unsure if he was capable of having any outside of volleyball. Oh! He was thinking about volleyball! That explains it! “We need to try that at practice.” Whatever he's thinking about has to be good.

“Think you can keep up?” He knew he could and Kageyama knew he would if his faint grimace was any sign.

“You wish I couldn’t.” Hinata takes the daring face on. “Hey! We’re derailing. C’mon and help me find Yachi.” Kageyama stands up and follows suit.

“Do you even know where she is?”

“No clue.”

“Then how are we supposed to find her?”

“Beats me!” Hinata’s optimism was completely unjustified. “Where do we see Yachi most often?”

“The gym?”

“Not until practice.”

“Her classroom?”

“Tried that one with no success.”

“Ugh.” Kageyama comes to a halt and his frown deepens. “Do we even see her outside of classes?”

“Of course we do! She’s our best friend!”

“She’s your best friend.”

“I thought you were my best friend?”

“No, we’re partners.”

Hinata sighs as he realizes this is only going to take them down a rabbit hole and won’t help them find Yachi. They stay silent and Hinata taps his foot until a revelation comes to him.

“We should go ask someone who knows Yachi!”

“Aren’t you her best friend?”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I know where she is, and it’s too early to go to her home.”

“Should we go ask Shimizu?”

Hinata’s cheeks flush and he denies with his hands. “No! I mean, we better not involve our senpai over something like this.”

“Hm, I’ve seen Yachi talk to Yamaguchi during practice.”

“That’s it!”

What seems like an astounding breakthrough takes them to his class. They're quick to arrive and find Yamaguchi having his lunch bread, noticing they're at the entrance and waving with a pleasant smile on his face. Next to him, as expected, there's a stubborn Tsukishima to deal with.

“Yachi? No, I haven’t seen her. Did you need her for something?”

“Yes, I wanted to return her notebook”

“Couldn’t you wait until practice instead of coming here?” Tsukishima pushed out of his teeth.

“No.” Hinata makes a face and says the word slowly. “If I wait until practice, I would have to take it to the gym and then she’d have to carry it the whole time.” Seriously, for being so smart Tsukishima could be quite stupid.

Tsukishima inhales deeply and adjusts his headphones over his head, effectively shutting communication with the outside world. “By all means, don’t feel like you need to extend your visit.”

Kageyama and Hinata throw metaphorical daggers at him with their eyes. Not like he cares. After all, he’s the team’s metaphorical shield, so it’s not like their combined power off-court can scratch him. 

“Have you tried the cafeteria? She may have forgotten her lunch box.” Yamaguchi tries poorly to keep them on track and dissolve the usual animosity between his friends. “Or maybe the library? There are no upcoming exams, but she may be preparing for next month’s finals.” The mention of their ultimate enemy sends a chill running through both Hinata and Kageyama. They don’t want to leave Yamaguchi hanging, but their fight-or-flight response has been turned on and besides, they now have a lead.

“Should we go to the cafeteria?” asks Hinata, already turning down the stairs.

“Wouldn’t Yachi die amongst all those people?”

“You’re right, she’d rather starve than drown in that sea of hungry teenagers.” Hinata’s eyes open in panic at the realization. “Oh no! Yachi can’t come back to her classroom because she’s starving and now she’s fainted where no one can find her.” Hinata’s pace increased but Kageyama is quick to hold him by his shoulder.

“Wait! Didn’t Yamaguchi say she may be studying in the library?”

Hinata’s eyes shot to the notebook in his hand. “Even worse! She can’t study without her notebook and she’s wasting her lunchtime looking for it! So now she’s starving and not even studying!” 

“Well, what should we do then? The cafeteria seems like a dead end, so maybe we should try the other option.”

Lo and behold, Yachi is precisely in the library. Fortunately, in a much better state than they imagined, but not much better. Yes, she has her lunch and is not starving. No, she doesn’t seem to be studying, so the missing notebook isn’t an issue, but there’s something off, off and eerily familiar. Hinata can’t place his finger on it but seeing how Yachi jumps when someone behind her closes their book too loudly is enough to make him intervene.

“Hey, Yachi!” Hinata shouts from the entrance and is quickly shushed by the people nearby.

Yachi looks up and her eyes widen. She stands up and meets them in the middle, taking a step back when they come to a stop. “Hinata! Kageyama! Funny seeing you around. Are you looking for something?”

Hinata’s brighter-than-the-sun smile solidifies on his face when he talks to her. “Yes, you!”

“Oh me?” Yachi drops her gaze mortified. “Did you need something from me right now?”

Kageyama shoots up an eyebrow and replies, “No.” Yachi yelps, so he softens his tone. “We’re here because Hinata wanted to give you a book back.” 

“Notebook, Kageyama. Notebook.” He steps forward and puts the notebook in her hands. “Thanks for letting me borrow it, but I forgot to give it back. Hope it didn't cause you any trouble.”

“No, don’t worry about that.” Yachi takes her notebook slowly and once it is out of Hinata’s hands, she quickly picks up her stuff and heads to the exit. “I’ll see you at practice.”

They go to the vending machines on their way back, so Kageyama can fuel his godforsaken addiction.

“Hey, I was thinking…”

“Whoa, thanks for letting me know, in case your brain blows up.” Hinata snickers, but he’s shut down by Kageyama punching his midsection.

“Like you’re one to talk.” They bicker some more until they recover some semblance of normalcy. “Doesn’t Yachi seem,” he takes a slurp out of his carton of unidentified dairy produce looking for the right word, “uncanny?”

“Huh?” They arrive at the stairs, but Hinata has to look back to be sure that more smoke isn’t coming out of Kageyama’s ears, who in turn rolls his eyes at him.

“Mysterious; uncomfortably strange. We studied it with Yachi for our last exam.”

“I'm not sure you're using that word correctly. And bold of you to assume I even remember what was in the notebook I just returned to her.” Still, something started to make the gears turn in his head. “Yachi is acting mysterious? How?”

“I don’t know, she’s just being weird.” He starts walking again and they both silently return to their respective classrooms.

By the time practice comes, Hinata still has Kageyama’s words and Yachi’s dismissive attitude on his mind. It’s not too bad. Kageyama calls him out on his slip-ups a couple of times, which prompts them to fight and consequently, Daichi berates them both for interrupting practice. Everyday stuff. He pays a little more attention to Yachi and notices that whenever their eyes meet, she’s quick to shift her gaze. She stays closer to Kiyoko than usual. She’s quieter, more cautious of the balls bouncing around. At one point, he accidentally approaches her from behind to ask for a dry towel and he sees how the hairs on her neck slowly rise before she jumps and practically runs to their supply closet, which he's pretty sure is not where towels are kept.

Once they finished, he can properly dwell on all of the info he gathered. First of all, he can’t help but feel pissed off, almost offended. How come Kageyama, a.k.a. the most emotionally constipated person on the planet noticed Yachi was off her game before him. After all, he was her best friend! But now that Kageyama mentioned it earlier, Hinata couldn’t help but notice the way she seemed more jittery than usual, like how she’d been when they first met. 

He hurriedly changes, so he can catch Yachi before she leaves and ask her what's going on with her. Now that he notices, she’s been leaving earlier too. Fortunately, he manages to find her at the school’s entrance. 

“Yachi!” He screams at the top of his lungs and she turns around, startled, and in time to avoid being hit by the walking –or in this case, running– sun.

“Hinata!” She stutters and seems at a loss of words at the surprise. “Is everything ok?” She tries to force a smile, but the nervous twitch at the corner of her mouth tips Hinata off. 

“That’s what I wanted to ask you.” Hinata gets into her personal space and grabs her hands. Yachi seems like she wants to back off, but the pleading look in his eyes softens her and makes her shoulders relax, if just the tiniest bit. “Are you alright? You seem more nervous than usual, more distant too. I am your friend and I want to help, but also, if you tell me you want some space, that’s fine. Just tell me.”

Yachi looks to the road below, the soft late winter breeze blowing her hair away and revealing how her facade breaks a little. Under all her avoidance and quirks she looks tired, too tired, and Hinata doesn’t want to see her like this.

“Sorry, Hinata, if it seems like that, but it’s fine.” She squeezes his hand and looks at him, a more sincere smile appearing on her face, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ll handle it, I have to.”

Hinata doesn’t like her tone, but he guesses it’s better not to press the issue at the moment. He manages to convince her to come with him for a meat bun at the Sakanoshita Store. Although instead of buying one for herself too, she opts for something she calls ‘gluten and sugar goodness’. It’s endearing to him, although he’d rather not have something sweeter than a Garigari-kun. Still, above all, he appreciates the quality time they get to spend together.

For how little he understands, he knows this is not the end. This is barely the beginning. They helped Yachi get out of her shell once and they’ll do it again and however many times she needs them to give her a little push into being the best version of herself.

* * *

“Didn’t she tell you she was fine?”

“No, dumbass. I told you she said _ it _ was fine. Whatever _ it _ is.” Some days had passed since they last talked about this, but Hinata hadn’t been able to let it go completely. Now, he and Kageyama were practicing serving and receiving outside of the gym. They haven’t done it since Daichi locked them out during their first week. It brings back memories, Hinata can barely believe how far they’ve come since then. However, besides the nostalgia trip, they're doing this for a reason. He knows that this is the only way they can play and talk at the same time, and oh do they need to be playing volleyball to concentrate, even if it was tricking their brains into focusing on something else (another mental loophole they had to thank Yachi for discovering). “Regardless, _ it _is fine and Yachi’s not and what we care about is that Yachi is fine.”

“Stop saying _ it _.” Kageyama growls, but keeps the ball in play, albeit, with a little more force than necessary. “We don’t even know what that is and she hasn’t even approached you since that day. Why do you think she wants you to barge in at all?”

Hinata does an overhand receive and grunts. “I told you, she’s our best friend and I know her.” Kageyama is starting to make that noise when he’s thinking about saying something he’d rather not say. “Stop it, she’s your best friend too, dumbass.” He huffs but doesn’t protest in any other way. “It’s like that time, the fight. She knew we needed help, even if we didn’t.” Neither of them says anything else. They continue playing for a bit, but know that there’s nothing else they can think about, they wrap up and go their separate ways. 

He’s not a serious over-thinker, so this hurts his brain. He doesn't even know where to begin to start looking for answers. Whenever he’s in trouble during volleyball, he observes and his body takes over, his instincts, his gut feeling, and it may be right or it may be wrong, but at least it’s a start. Right now, he has nothing. Talking to Kageyama provided no further insight and going to Yachi directly again probably isn’t the best approach.

He stares at the ceiling of his bedroom while he dangles his feet off his bed; he thinks better when he’s moving. Feeling trapped and static only stresses him out. He plays with his feet in the air as he thinks. Maybe he doesn’t need to approach Kageyama or Yachi anymore. Maybe he just needs to ask the right person, like how Yamaguchi had the right idea about where Yachi was. After all, he wasn’t Yachi’s only friend and he knew there would be other people who understood her struggles better. In that case, the perfect person would know what to do…

Something buzzes through his head and he springs out of bed. That's it! There had to be someone in the world who knew how to help Yachi, and hey! That person might just be on the team! 

And so Hinata decided there was only one person he could go to… everyone.

_ [2013, March 08, Friday] _

_ [07:34 P.M.] _

**Karasuno Volleyball Club Group Chat – FOR OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS ONLY**

Hinata: HEY GUYS quick question

Sugawara: Hi Hinata, sure! :)

Nishinoya: SUP SHOUYOU

Hinata: There’s this girl...she’s been feeling a bit down recently and I want to help her feel better but I don’t know what to do! ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡

Kageyama: This sounds like a problem

Sugawara: Oh? Girlfriend? ;)

Hinata: ヽ(⁄ ⁄≥⁄д⁄≤⁄ ⁄)ﾉ it’s not like that! She’s just a friend I care for!

Nishinoya: O_O

Yachi: Have you tried talking to her about it?

Hinata: Yes but she brushed it off! I was trying to think of another way to cheer her up…

Kageyama: What else can you do other than talk to her?

Sugawara: Maybe you could give her a little present to let her know you’re thinking about her and remind her that you’re there if she needs to talk? ^^

Sawamura: What part of “Official Announcements Only” is unclear?

Well, he managed to get a few responses before Daichi hijacked the conversation. It had been worth giving it a shot. Hinata inhales to his lungs’ full capacity and then lets all his frustration out in a groan. Natsu complains from the living room, and ultimately, they’re both told to keep it down by their mom.

Unclear thoughts linger in his mind. Maybe it's not right to ask, at least not at the same time. Suga’s idea sounds promising though. He will discuss it with Kageyama tomorrow. He starts to feel weariness dragging him, but he forces himself to get up and at least take a shower.

Back in his room, he sees he has unread notifications from an ominous chat.

_ [08:29 P.M.] _

_ [Tsukishima Kei created group “ _ **I Don’t Trust You** _ ”] _

_ [Tsukishima Kei added Hinata Shouyou, Kageyama Tobio, and Yamaguchi Tadashi] _

Tsukishima: What do you think you’re doing?

Yamaguchi:???

Tsukishima: Not you.

Hinata: ( ・◇・)？

Hinata: I just got out of the bath and was about to help Natsu with some of her homework

Kageyama: Yes, homework

Tsukishima: Do her a favor and don’t do that.

Yamaguchi: Nice Tsukki!

Tsukishima: But not that, I meant in the club chat.

Hinata: Oh! just needed some advice!

Kageyama: Yes, advice

Tsukishima: Stop agreeing with him constantly like that, it’s creepy.

Tsukishima: Also, it’s obvious you were talking about Yachi.

Hinata: WHAT!? HOW DID YOU KNOW Σ(゜ロ゜;)

Tsukishima: Hinata, you have zero female friends that you talk about, and there’s no way Kageyama would be agreeing with you unless he was involved too.

Tsukishima: However, I agree Yachi has been tense recently.

Hinata: Well if you’re so smart why did you have to make this chat (￣ ￣|| )

Tsukishima: You asked Yachi how to cheer up Yachi.

Hinata: WELL SHE WOULD BE THE PERSON TO ASK

Hinata: PLUS! Suga’s advice was good!! d(･∀･○)

Tsukishima: Goodbye.

Hinata: WAIT DON’T TELL HER

Tsukishima: I won’t, I just can’t deal talking to you this late.

Kageyama: Why 

Tsukishima: Excuse me?

Kageyama: Yeah why do you even care

Hinata: Oooooh I mean ofc you could just be messing with us

Hinata: (✧o✧) unless?

Yamaguchi: You aren’t the only ones who care about Yachi, we want to help her too!

Yamaguchi: I think a gift sounds nice! Goodnight!

Hinata: Night Yamaguchi! ヾ(￣◇￣)ノ〃

That works too. 

There’s a big grin he can’t wipe off his face. This is happening! What? Who knows! At least they have Stinkyshima and Yamaguchi on board now. Tomorrow, he has his appointed weekly study session with Kageyama and Yachi, but the last few times they’d gone, it seemed like it was getting worse. He doesn’t want to let Yachi down and abandon her. On the bright side, she can use that time to relax or get stuff done. He sends her a quick message to let her know that tomorrow he and Kageyama would be training until late. Hinata smiled to himself. He doesn’t even need to think of an excuse! He knows she won’t take it badly, but he sends a follow-up message telling her they’ll make it up to her. And yes, they will. She has no idea.

* * *

_ [2013, March 09, Saturday] _

_ [09:13 A.M.] _

**I Don’t Trust You.**

Hinata: HEY GUYS (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

Hinata: HEY

Hinata: HEY

Hinata: HEY

_ [10:36 A.M.] _

Tsukishima: What.

Hinata: HEY SO ABOUT THE WEDDING GIFT

Hinata: Kageyama and I have been talking about it today and don’t know what’s best!! 

Hinata: I was thinking flowers because they smell nice and look pretty

Hinata: but I found out they have meanings and I don’t want to insult her on accident 

Hinata: then I thought snacks because everyone needs snacks! but I don’t know what she likes

Hinata: THEN Kageyama said pens but she already has so many cute pens so what if we get her ones she already had or ones that are too ugly!!! (・へ・)

Yamaguchi: Wedding gift? 

Hinata: NO NO JUST REGULAR GIFT! YACHI’S GIFT!! I've been watching too many bride offs with Natsu lately

Hinata: actually

Hinata: let’s just all marry her instead that’s easier than choosing a gift

Kageyama: Idiot, then we have to buy her more gifts

Hinata: yeah she helped us with tests? Guess the only option is to marry her

Yamaguchi: I don’t think her parents will agree.

Yamaguchi: 12 husbands and 1 wife, seems a bit much to take in.

Hinata: oh… I meant just us?

Tsukishima: Because four husbands are much more reasonable.

Hinata: ୧(ꐦ๑•̀ᗝ•́)૭

Hinata: I just meant me and Kageyama

Tsukishima: Somehow I find that more offensive.

Kageyama: I found volleyball wedding cake toppers [[insert link]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BxKEr7dIYAAh6tG.jpg)

Hinata: idiot Kageyama!! we don’t need that if we aren’t getting married

Kageyama: Volleyball wedding rings [[insert link]](https://www.inspiredsilver.com/petite-5-5-carat-volleyball-stretch-ring.html?utm_source=google_shopping-ad&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkdCii7ja4QIV2LXACh3dkANqEAQYBSABEgKXGvD_BwE) [[insert link]](https://www.kandsimpressions.com/product/mom-dad-rings-name-rings/volleyball-adjustable-ring/)

Kageyama: Volleyball invitations [[insert link]](https://shop.r10s.jp/farbesis/cabinet/02620931/img59079114.jpg)

Hinata: hey some of these are actually pretty cool

Tsukishima: Why don’t the two of you just get married and have a volleyball wedding.

Hinata: this is supposed to be about Yachi!! (# ﾟДﾟ)

Tsukishima: I don’t think Yachi wants a volleyball wedding.

Hinata: What DOES she want then?

Tsukishima: Better friends.

Yamaguchi: Self-confidence?

Kageyama: Milk

Hinata: This is not helpful, we should ask someone else.

Kageyama: Who?

Hinata: hm...

Hinata: TANAKA!!! HE HAS A SISTER!

Tsukishima: Please do not ask Tanaka.

_ [11:02 A.M.] _

**PM: Hinata Shouyou and Tanaka Ryuunosuke**

Hinata: Tanaka-senpai!! 

Hinata: what do you usually buy for your sister?

Tanaka: Hey Hinata!

Tanaka: Uh

Tanaka: She usually just sends me to the store whenever we’re almost out of stuff?

Tanaka: Rice, detergent, paper towels... I get pads a lot because usually by the time she notices, it’s a crisis and she doesn’t want to leave the house

Hinata: Thank you Tanaka-senpai!!

Tanaka: Sure thing?

_ [11:06 A.M.] _

**I Don’t Trust You**

Hinata: Tanaka says get pads.

Kageyama: Why would Yachi need knee pads?

Hinata: I think he meant note pads

Yamaguchi: lol

Kageyama drops his phone on his bed, confused about the previous conversation, and continues packing his sports bag. They have a few hours before afternoon practice, but he prefers to arrive early and run to warm up. He reaches out for his knee pads and studies them. Why would Yachi need them? Were they going to teach her volleyball? 

Now that he thinks about it, that doesn’t sound too bad. Whenever he’s stressed, he pours his frustrations into practicing. Teaching her would make a pretty dope gift.

_ [11:15 A.M.] _

**I Don’t Trust You**

Kageyama: No he definitely meant knee pads, we should teach Yachi how to play volleyball

Hinata: (゜o゜)

Hinata: yes

Tsukishima: No.

Yamaguchi: Maybe that’s not the best approach?

Yamaguchi: Something that you enjoy may not be necessarily something she enjoys.

Tsukishima: Are you so obtuse you haven’t noticed she looks more stressed during practice than anywhere else?

Hinata: ?

Kageyama: ?

Tsukishima: Sigh.

Hinata: (；一_一)

Yamaguchi: Hmm

Yamaguchi: Treating her like a sister or a teammate won’t do

Hinata: soooooo then?

Yamaguchi: Well, like a girl friend?

_ [11:23 A.M.] _

**PM: Tsukishima Kei and Yamaguchi Tadashi**

Tsukishima: Real smooth there.

Yamaguchi: STOP IT TSUKKI I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE THAT

_ [11:24 A.M.] _

**I Don’t Trust You**

Yamaguchi: A friend who is a girl.

Yamaguchi: Just to clarify.

Kageyama’s facial muscles tense in confusion as he reads the new message. He knows that Yachi is a girl and that he is their friend, _ best friend _ as Hinata likes to remind him. 

What does it mean? _ Friend_. He feels uncomfortable thinking of using that word to describe her, to describe anyone for that matter. For him, friends have nothing to do with you. They’re not your teammates or partners who work to reach a goal together. Friends can betray you without looking back. He clenches his fists to stop them from trembling and grabs his bag to leave. This is not the time to dwell on his past. 

The day is sunny, but he doesn’t mind walking under the sun. He enjoys Saturday's practice the most. He goes to school and spends all his time playing, no need to wait 8 hours before he can get to the highlight of his day.

He breathes slowly, he knows what he has to do. Yachi is their friend, and he has no idea how to deal with friends. There’s only one person he can ask, whether he likes it or not, someone who doesn’t expect him to be aware of normal social conventions, someone who has friends to rely on, someone who knows about girls, he supposes?

_ [12:03 P.M.] _

**PM: Kageyama Tobio and Oikawa Tooru**

Kageyama: Oikawa-senpai

Oikawa: Don’t call me that.

Kageyama: Can I ask you something?

Oikawa: No.

Kageyama: Ok

Oikawa: Shut up and ask.

Kageyama: I can’t do both of those

Oikawa: So instead you did neither. Amazing.

[_12:06 P.M.]_

Oikawa: ARE YOU GOING TO ASK OR NOT

Kageyama: So there’s this girl and we want to get her a gift but we don’t know what to get her

Oikawa: O. M. G.

_ [12:07 P.M.] _

**PM: Oikawa Tooru and Iwaizumi Hajime**

Oikawa: [screenshot]

Oikawa: IWA

Oikawa: holy shit im dying KAGEYAMA texted me about girl problems

Iwaizumi: Cute.

Oikawa: IWA you are missing the point

Oikawa: the comedic potential 🎉 [message sent with confetti]

Iwaizumi: Don’t be an ass, shittykawa.

Iwaizumi: He needs all the help he can get.

Oikawa: iwaaaaaaa ur so boring

Oikawa: wait.

_ [12:11 P.M.] _

**PM: Kageyama Tobio and Oikawa Tooru**

Oikawa: wait.

Oikawa: “We”? Who else?

Kageyama: Hinata

Kageyama: Yachi is sad and so we want to get her something

Oikawa: Yachi?

Kageyama: Our manager

_[12:12 P.M.]_

**PM: Oikawa Tooru and Iwaizumi Hajime**

Oikawa: [screenshot]

Oikawa: sometimes i think everything kageyama does in life is just to spite me

Iwaizumi: lol You deserved that.

Oikawa: iwaaaaaaaa

_ [12:13 P.M.] _

**PM: Kageyama Tobio and Oikawa Tooru**

Oikawa: …and you are asking me about this _why?_

Oikawa: ive never met her

Oikawa: And there’s no way I would help you anyways! 😒

Kageyama: You’re good with girls?

Kageyama: You’re cool?

_ [12:15 P.M.] _

**PM: Oikawa Tooru and Iwaizumi Hajime**

Oikawa: [screenshot]

Oikawa: iwa theres NO WAY hes not making fun of me.

Iwaizumi: lmao I think he’s serious

Iwaizumi: Congratulations, at least someone thinks you’re cool

Oikawa: IWA

Oikawa: and you said i was being mean.

_ [12:17 P.M.] _

**PM: Kageyama Tobio and Oikawa Tooru**

Oikawa: Flattery will get you nowhere, Tobio!

Oikawa: Also how would being cool cheer someone up??

Oikawa: nvm dont answer that

Oikawa: more importantly, why is she sad?

Kageyama: I don’t know

Kageyama: We just thought getting her something she likes might cheer her up

Oikawa: What does she like?

Kageyama: That’s what I was asking you

Oikawa: I have never spoken to her WHY WOULD I KNOW

Oikawa: nvm dont answer that either.

Kageyama: Ok.

Oikawa: Fine I will help you but only for this poor girl’s sake.

Oikawa: BUT FIRST

Oikawa: my condition 💃[message sent with spotlight]

_ [12:22 P.M.] _

Oikawa: you were supposed to react to that

Kageyama: Sorry I was waiting on the condition.

Oikawa: Send me a selfie with double peace signs and your tongue out! ✌️😛✌️

Kageyama: How am I supposed to take the picture and do double peace signs?

Oikawa: One peace sign, but add a wink. 😘✌️

Kageyama: [image attached]

_ [12:26 P.M.] _

**PM: Oikawa Tooru and Iwaizumi Hajime**

Oikawa: [screenshot attached]

Oikawa: WHAT IS THIS FACE ITS SO UGLY

Oikawa: THIS IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING I COULD HAVE IMAGINED

_ [12:27 P.M.] _

**PM: Kageyama Tobio and Oikawa Tooru**

Oikawa: Now that you have earned it, I present you with:

Oikawa: Oikawa’s Wisdom ✨✨ [message sent with fireworks]

Oikawa: If you want to buy a girl something but don’t know what, take her shopping!

Kageyama: But it’s supposed to be a secret.

Oikawa: IM NOT FINISHED

Oikawa: Look at what she buys to get an idea of what she likes, but more importantly…

Oikawa: Pay attention to what she almost buys!

Oikawa: Those can make for great gifts!

Kageyama: Interesting.

Kageyama: How do I get her to go shopping?

Oikawa: That’s your problem! 😜

_[01:00 P.M.]_

**PM: Kageyama Tobio and Iwaizumi Hajime**

Iwaizumi: Tell her you need to buy something and ask her to come.

Iwaizumi: Good luck!

Kageyama: Thank you?

* * *

“This was a horrible idea.” Kageyama peeks from around the advertisement display they were hidden behind. There she is, Yachi, right in front of the food court’s ice cream shop, 5 minutes earlier than the agreed time and now they have to put their plan into action. Whatever that so-called ‘plan’ was, they didn’t think this through. Honestly though, when did they ever?

“It was your idea!” Hinata grabs Kageyama’s jacket and pulls him behind again, drawing considerably more attention.

“Not mine.” Kageyama recoils with disgust. “I asked Oikawa.”

“What?” Hinata’s volume increases and Kageyama shushes him. “You asked the Grand King for advice?”

“Who else was I supposed to go to?”

“Any other person on the planet!”

“Keep it down! Do you want to blow our cover dumbass?”

“What cover?” Tsukishima says from a bench a few steps away. “You look like a bunch of stalkers. Someone is going to call security.”

“Don’t you mean _ we _?” Hinata replies outraged.

“I deny being associated with you in any way, shape, or form.”

“How long are we making her wait?” Yamaguchi interjects with curiosity. He and Tsukishima had arrived only recently, though Kageyama and Hinata had already been panicking and talking since then. “Why didn’t you tell us what you were planning in the chat?”

Hinata turns to him and clears his throat. “Well, you see…”

“Let me guess: there’s no plan.” Tsukishima scoffs and puts Hinata out of his misery quickly.

“There was a plan!” He crosses his arms and scowls, but he can’t hide the red creeping up onto his face. “Yesterday, we told her to come with us to the mall to help us buy school supplies.” Tsukki lets out a legitimate laugh, which only helps to increase Hinata’s shame. “It makes sense! It’s for final exams!”

“And she bought it?”

“Not everyone is mean like you, Snarkyshima!”

Yamaguchi ponders and agrees. Getting Yachi somewhere where she can look at stuff and relax would give them a better idea of what she’d like. “That’s solid. Now the question is why are you hiding back here?”

“The thing is–”

“He can’t go by himself or he’ll get too distracted and grab Yachi wherever he wants.” Kageyama interrupts Hinata.

“Well, you can’t go by yourself either or you’ll get too bored just wandering around. Also, I’m pretty sure Yachi is still afraid of you.”

“What did you say–?”

“Then,” Yamaguchi interrupts them from starting another fight. “Why don’t you go together?”

“They’ll just end up talking about volleyball and won’t pay attention to Yachi.” Tsukishima showed no interest with his tired reply, but Yamaguchi knew he had agreed to come because he cares.

“Then you go if you’re so smart!”

“And what should I tell her? Fancy meeting you here, Yachi. Let’s go buy stuff for the two idiots that left you hanging. I’m sure they couldn’t make it because they couldn’t read the bus stops and got lost.” Both of them look pissed but don’t say anything else.

They wait, keeping an eye on Yachi. Yamaguchi feels bad making Yachi purposefully wait. Kageyama said he’s sure that she’ll eventually drift off to wherever she truly wants to go to, but he knows this is just putting more pressure on her. Yamaguchi bites his lip. He wants to do something, but he doesn’t know what. She’s a dear friend and they can talk perfectly fine when they’re together at school. Outside of school though? He can’t guarantee that he won’t get nervous. He enjoys her company, a lot, maybe too much for what the mission requires. 

He moves to the side to see her properly and something in his gut clenches. She’s stretching her neck looking around everywhere with a mortified look on her face. It’s been nearly 15 minutes and he’s not going to wait any longer to see if she cracks.

“I’ll go.” The words leave him before he notices. “I mean, I’m not fond of the idea of spying, but I’ll go with her. You guys can trail behind and take notes on whatever you think catches her attention.” For a moment he thinks they’ll object in some way, but promptly discards the idea, if Kageyama and Hinata’s faces washed in relief are anything to go by. He turns to Tsukki, waiting for a snide remark about leaving him alone to deal with the other two, but it never comes. He only receives a quick nod to signal his agreement.

Yamaguchi breathes deeply and clears his throat. He tries to walk towards her casually, which isn’t helping, because the more he thinks about it, the more he feels like a robot. It takes a few strides for him to come into her field of vision. She looks frantically everywhere, but once her eyes meet Yamaguchi, all the stress from her face disappears. 

He has to make a conscious effort to keep moving, but he’s unable to contain the heat crawling on his cheeks. She offers him a big, bright smile that he’s happy to return and bows slightly apologizing for the tardiness.

“Yamaguchi! What a nice surprise seeing you here.” Yachi’s voice trembles slightly, but she looks way more comfortable.

“Yeah.” Yamaguchi lets out a nervous giggle and scratches the back of his head. “It’s nice seeing you too.”

“What brings you here? Of course, that is if you want to tell me. Don’t feel like you need to disclose your private business just because I asked.” The air tenses up a little, but fortunately, she decides to change the direction of the conversation. “I’m supposed to meet up with Hinata and Kageyama.”

_ Yes I know, they’re hiding behind that ad_. Yamaguchi had been so quick to come that he hadn’t thought of some kind of excuse. It is too late for that. He just hopes he could wing it smoothly. “Yes! That’s why I’m here.” Yachi startles and looks up at him expectantly. “Hinata texted me earlier and he said that something came up. Last-minute babysitting for his sister. And Kageyama...” His eyes stray to where his friends are supposed to be hidden and he confirms that they’ve left their hideout and are watching them shamelessly. "He hit his head! He’s ok, but he needed some rest,” he rushes out. “They asked me to come in their stead. I’m sorry about being late, but it was unexpected.”

Her mouth forms a big ‘O,’ which is endearing, but also makes Yamaguchi feel slightly guilty for lying to her. “Don’t worry! I understand. Wouldn’t it have been best if they canceled?” She quickly brings her hands to her mouth and gasps. “Not that I don’t want to hang out with you! It’s just that I don’t want them to feel worried that they couldn’t come.”

“It’s okay, it was something important to them. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent me.” Yamaguchi smiles and starts walking somewhere far away from the poorly concealed group. “In fact, let me text them to let them know that I’m already with you. I’m sure they’re worried sick for causing the inconvenience.”

_ [2013, March 10, Sunday] _

_ [02:19 P.M.] _

**I Don’t Trust You.**

Yamaguchi: You better make it up to her.

Hinata: m(_ _)m

They fall into a comfortable silence and they start walking. Where? Who knows. Yamaguchi is following her and he’s pretty sure she’s following him. They won’t get anywhere like this. He needs to stop feeling nervous and refocus. He looks for an emergency exit sign and finds one at the end of the food court. An idea sparks.

“Hey, how about we grab something to eat first?”

_ [02:32 P.M.] _

**I Don’t Trust You.**

Hinata: and they asked if this was my natural hair color

Hinata: (´-﹏-`；)

Kageyama: Is it?

Hinata: of course it is dumbass!

Tsukishima: These are not your private messages, don’t overflow my notifications.

Hinata: why would we send each other private messages? We’re next to each other

Tsukishima: I know that already, I’m in front of you. Stop. Cluttering.

Kageyama: Don’t want to interrupt your chat over there but they’re leaving

Hinata: yeah we need to remain focused! We’ll talk another time Tsukishima

Tsukishima: I’d rather never talk to you again.

Yachi and Yamaguchi roam around the mall without hurry before arriving at their original destination. Yamaguchi is not one to admit defeat easily, he hasn’t been for a while, but he can say without regrets that this time he lost, at least the original purpose of the mission. He paid attention to Yachi! Not the way he was supposed to. The way she smiles, their conversations, the giggles she lets escape whenever they find something funny. Yamaguchi thought he’d be more awkward, but he’s enjoying himself too much to think about being nervous.

They arrive at a store he recognizes. It’s one of those big arts and crafts chain stores, but he’s never bought anything there. Hell, he’s never dared set foot in the store since that one time he made the mistake of looking for paint for a middle school project. He had been scarred. He only wanted acrylic paints and had been close to the store. That day he learned several things: 1) There were many different types of paints, 2) Most of them cost more than several times his allowance, 3) He’s a simple mortal whose needs should be met by the local stationery store. Since then, he hasn’t returned. It would make sense that this is something akin to Yachi’s paradise. He wonders if she does any traditional art. It would be lovely to watch her in front of a great canvas, concentrating on bringing all of the ideas and creativity within her mind into the real world. He sighs sheepishly. She’s incredible.

He holds his breath as they enter the store. When he breathes again, he recognizes that it is different than outside. Surrounded by AC and freshly cut paper, he’s crossed into another realm.

“We’re here,” Yachi breathes out. There’s an elated tone to her voice. “Did they tell you what they needed?”

Yamaguchi hums. He’s pretty sure he hasn’t seen them with more than a mechanical pencil and an eraser each. “Not really, they said they trust you with getting whatever you think they’ll need to pass their finals.”

Yachi’s face lightens up and she frowns, her brows determined. “Leave it to me!” The good thing about Yachi helping them study on a regular basis means that she knows everything they have and most importantly, everything they don’t and that are in desperate need of.

They grab a basket and start filling it with pens, markers, notebooks, a stapler, file folders, erasers, a calculator? No wonder they do badly. They don’t even have the basic materials! Along the way, Yachi explains her thought process behind each item, which is very interesting. He knows Kageyama and Hinata themselves wouldn’t put this much thought into it. Honestly, neither does he. He just buys whatever he runs out of. However, now he knows better. He doesn’t do badly in school, but his notes are rather plain. He’ll ask Yachi if he can join one of their study dates and get some tips from her.

_ D-d-d-date? _No, no, it’s just a study session.

It could hardly be called a date with his teammates there. But maybe on another occasion…

Yachi gasps and pulls Yamaguchi out of his head. Her feet take her quickly to a pile of what looks like books. Yamaguchi has to speed up his pace to follow her and once he arrives, he can read properly the title, ‘Wreck This Journal’.

“What is this?” asks Yamaguchi, visibly confused by the oxymoron.

“It’s a journal! Kinda. Every page has instructions and you need to follow them, and by the end, your journal is destroyed.” A conflicted look was on her face. Being so organized and careful with her stuff might go against the principle of this book.

That wasn’t it though. Yes, her face is scrunched up funny, but there’s a spark of joy in her eyes, like she was a crow looking at something shiny.

“Why don’t you take one home? We’ve only been picking stuff up for Hinata and Kageyama, maybe you should get something for yourself?” Yamaguchi inquires innocently, but that seems to break the spell.

“No, no, it looks interesting, but I wasn’t planning on buying anything.” Yachi turns her back on the stand and moves away from it, decidedly not looking back. “Besides, it’s something so childish, and I don’t have time for that.” Her expression changes to one of defeat. “And I’ll have even less time for that.”

Yamaguchi feels sad that she looks like that after being relaxed the whole afternoon. He doesn’t press further. They continue picking up the supplies for Hinata and Kageyama, and pay for them.

_ [03:16 P.M.] _

**I Don’t Trust You.**

Yamaguchi: Mission accomplished! We’ve bought your fake school supplies, so I believe we’ll be heading out in 10 minutes or so.

Hinata: the supplies are fake? (ㆀ˘･з･˘)

Yamaguchi: No, they’re very much real.

Yamaguchi: I take payment in cash and french fries coupons.

Yamaguchi: Especially for the calculator… I still shudder thinking of that price.

Hinata: awwww why a calculator?

Hinata: our phones have calculators!

Tsukishima: Have you ever opened your phone’s calculator?

Hinata: …

Hinata: I mean it is there

Kageyama: It is?

Yamaguchi: I know this was an excuse but I think you should seriously use these to study.

Yamaguchi: And you may want to leave so Yachi doesn’t accidentally spot you.

Kageyama: We would be able to blend in but we can’t because Hinata’s a mandarin

Hinata: HEY!!!! THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR

Hinata: ( 〃．．)

Hinata: ok we’ll leave

Hinata: what about Tsukishima though?? I’m pretty sure we lost him to that lemon mascot

Hinata: Sometimes I can still hear his voice ╮(•˘︿ ˘•)╭

Tsukishima: Quit telling everyone I’m dead. I left because there was no reason for me to stay, and making fun of you isn’t worth the brain damage due to idiot exposure.

Yamaguchi: Play nice Tsukki. Do you all have an idea for your gifts now?

Hinata: NO! we lost your trail!

Kageyama: Your fault for being so slow

Hinata: huh??? (o｀ﾟ皿ﾟ) wanna race to the station to see who’s the fastest???? 

* * *

Mornings are always chilly at Karasuno. They're on a hill in a small town, and snow is not uncommon in the colder months. Fortunately, spring is only a few weeks away, especially for Suga who is the one who normally opens the gym for morning practice.

His home is somewhat close to the school. Regardless, he wakes up at ungodly hours and leaves before sunrise. Every day he has practice and every night he studies for his college entrance exams. During most of his waking hours, he has something to do, and whenever he can finally call it a day, he's too exhausted to get relaxed. Then, the next day he has to start all over again.

Monday mornings, such as this one, are the most tiring. Suga feels a breeze run through him as he makes his way to school. He breathes hot air into his hands and rubs them together. He would’ve brought gloves, but his scarf is all the extra weight he’s willing to carry. Climbing the hill up to school is a struggle, but he can’t afford to slack.

He moves to the edge of the hill where he has full view of the town below and the mountains beyond, and drops his bags onto the concrete. He’s sleepy, he’s cold, and his back aches, but there he is, just in time for the break of dawn. He basks in the newborn rays of sunlight and takes a deep breath of morning dew. 

He’s going to miss this. The hill, the chill, the tiredness, the sunrise. He could catch some sleep and give the keys to one of the second years. However, missing such a beautiful view would be a waste. No matter the struggle, he wouldn’t give up on this, and he’ll hold onto it for as long as he can.

He wakes up from his daze and moves on with his day. Opening the gym, changing in the clubroom, routine that will soon stop, he has to snap out of it or he’ll be consumed in the nostalgia.

Soon members of the team start to arrive and together, they set up the court. They fix the net, bring the carts, and start with warm-up.

So far it has been a nice morning, albeit a quiet one. It is as peaceful as it is bizarre since after the first years joined, they haven’t had a single moment free of chaos. Which begs the question, where are they?

As if summoned telepathically, the freak duo crash into the door, panting frantically from racing each other. They are some of the first ones to arrive, so having them arrive late at the same time is interesting to say the least.

Suga forgets about that detail as practice goes on. The only other weird occurrence happens when he goes off the court to grab a bottle of water and he sees Yachi approaching Hinata. Nothing unusual in and of itself, except that Hinata practically flees from her. He screams something like, “Thanks for the stuff! See you later!” as he runs to Kageyama. He grabs the oblivious setter by the arm and pushes him to the side to whisper in his ear, while pointedly avoiding Suga’s gaze.

Now that’s odd, Suga takes a mental note of that.

That’s the first tip-off that something’s going on.

Hinata and Kageyama leave for class as soon as they’re allowed to. Again, weird. Normally they’d keep on playing and ditch class without a second thought.

This repeats at afternoon practice, and at the morning practice the next day.

* * *

During Tuesday’s lunch, Suga goes to the first year’s floor, hoping to find Kageyama and Hinata to talk to them. Maybe they were nervous. He doubts it’s because of something volleyball related. After all, even if they’re weird at practice, they’re not off their game, and the team did pretty well in last month’s tournament without the third years.

It has to be something else, even if he isn’t sure what. He’s their senpai, he wants to let them know they can count on him and try to offer them some support or advice.

He doesn’t find them in their classrooms, and instead, he catches sight of them outside class 1-5, peeking from the door.

Suga approaches carefully to avoid them noticing his presence. Once he’s close, he crosses his arms and puts on a big smile. “Hinata! Kageyama! How’s it going?” he greets them a notch louder than his ‘usual hallway voice’.

“Suga!”,“Sugawara!” They both jump at once. Neither of them say anything more, so Suga continues.

“I tried looking for you in your classrooms, but you were gone.” Suga remembers that they’re not the only ones who’ve been acting differently. Yachi too, since a few weeks ago. This was a good opportunity to have a heart-to-heart conversation with the three first years. “Don’t worry about it, it’s pretty convenient finding you here. Were you coming for Yachi?” Suga tries to move forward to get into the classroom, but both boys stand in front of him. 

“What? Oh, no, we were just visiting, but now we’re leaving.” Hinata slaps Kageyama’s belly and they disappear back into the packed hallway. What’s with that? He looks into the classroom and sees that Yachi is wistfully watching outside the window sipping on a juice box.

Better to leave it at that, at least for now. But there is definitely something strange happening.

The freak duo arrive at and leave practice in a rush, just as they've done the last few days. The rest of the team leave at the same time, save for Daichi, who was called for counseling, and the three elusive first years.

“And then she yelled at me! ‘Ryuu you don’t get to slack! If I went to college then you have to too’.” Even if the second years are some distance away, Tanaka’s voice is so loud, it can be heard like a megaphone through the empty streets. “Hey, I’m already street smart! No need to be a genius at school too.”

“You? Street smart?” Kinoshita can barely contain his laughter at Tanaka’s expense, and the rest of the group follow suit.

“Hey! Noya and Kageyama are proof that you can be a genius at sports and shit at smarts.”

“Bro…” Noya clenches his shirt over his heart and looks at him with crocodile tears.

“Bro!” Tanaka returns the sentiment.

“And you're sure your thing is being street smart?” Ennoshita interjects.

“Well, maybe that’s not it, but I do have my own selling points too.” They fall into a comfortable silence, until Tanaka finds something to add to the conversation. “Like Hinata. Little guy is a mess all over the place, but no one can deny that he's got some mad social skills.” He laughs openly trying to imitate Hinata’s mannerisms. “Either for good or bad, if it’s from a person, he can always get what he wants. Who knows how his little brain even functions! Like the other day, he asked me about my sister. Totally out of nowhere! Who knows what’s gotten to him these last few days?”

Suga bids farewell to everyone and makes his way home. Third time’s the charm to get a hunch. He wasn’t the only one who had noticed the sudden change in behavior from his younger teammates. 

Their suspicious actions, rushed schedules, Tanaka’s conversation. Suga takes notice and observes, these are the pieces to a puzzle, a greater picture none of the rest are aware of.

He could ignore it and continue with his daily life, it isn't like he has any free time to spare.

But what kind of senpai would he be if he didn’t find out what distresses his friends?

* * *

Wednesday morning arrives. Kageyama, Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima all have identical notes in their clubroom lockers. “Secret Meeting after practice later. Follow my lead.” Yamaguchi looks over to Hinata and witnesses his pathetic attempts at being sneaky, but gives him a thumbs up. Hinata returns the gesture with a bright smile, then promptly pretends he has nothing to do with the whole situation. 

Afternoon practice comes and goes, and contrary to the new trend, Hinata and Kageyama don’t immediately run out the moment practice finishes. Quite the contrary, they approach Daichi with a request.

“Can we have the keys?” Hinata cuts to the chase excited.

“It’s for extra spiking practice,” Kageyama follows up determined and serious.

Daichi looks at them with distrust and crosses his arms to make himself bigger. “You two are the last people I trust with locking up the gym.”

“But it won’t just be us. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi want to stay late too, right?” Hinata attempts to wink. He has the enthusiasm, but his technique is nonexistent, so instead he just sorda grimaces and then blinks.

Yamaguchi opened his mouth to say he would stay, figuring this was the meaning of _ follow my lead, _ when Tsukki replies instead.

“I’ll stay, but only if you never make that face at me again.”

Hinata cheers despite Daichi’s still unimpressed expression, but surprisingly, it’s Suga who tips the odds in their favor.

“Come on, Daichi, don’t you remember staying late as a first year while the rest of the team went home? I’m sure with all four of them here nothing can go too wrong!”

Daichi raises an eyebrow at him and doesn’t seem to budge, but super cool senpai Suga says he has to talk to him separately, giving a proper wink of approval to the first years.

After a couple of minutes, they come back and though reluctantly, Daichi gives in, only on the condition that Tsukishima keeps the key so that they could be certain Hinata and Kageyama wouldn’t be left unattended. Also, it is a safety measure to ensure that practice will start on time, they say. Yamaguchi normally is the one to go to when they have to deal with the four of them, but this is the only matter in which he’s definitely ruled out. Even if he tries his hardest, sometimes he sleeps in and arrives after most of the team.

The agreement is set and the keys handed over. They don’t clean up since that’ll be the responsibility of the ones that stay.

With all of the upperclassmen out of sight, Hinata claps his hands. “Team, we need a contingency plan!”

“Do you even know what contingency means?” Tsukishima raises an eyebrow.

“Nope!” He has no right sounding that confident.

“Can’t this wait until we’ve reached the club room and changed?” Yamaguchi turns back and sighs.

“There’s no time for that,” Kageyama adds with a frown. “We still have no clue what we’re gonna do.”

“Speak for yourself." Tsukishima snorts. "It’s your fault for not doing what you were supposed to do on Sunday.”

“And you have your stuff already?” Hinata defies Tsukishima. “Doesn’t matter! This is a team effort and we all need to be on the same page so! I brought this piece of paper to write down all of our ideas!” He produces a single sheet of paper, with the word “Ideas” written at the top and nothing else.

Within 5 minutes, the sheet of paper looked as follows, in various handwritings:

_ _ _ **IDEAS** _

  * <strike>volleyball</strike>
  * <strike>lemons</strike>
  * <strike>LEMONS</strike> snacks!
  * ring

Hinata is wrestling the paper from Kageyama in an attempt to add lemons to the list a third time when Suga appears from the supply room and snatches the paper from the unsuspecting duo.

“Aha! I knew it! This isn’t volleyball. This is-” He looks at the paper. “Actually, what is this?”

“Huh?” Kageyama moves back and lets Hinata fall face flat on the floor.

“I knew there was something going on, I think?” Suga asks unsure. “It’s not my business what you do outside of club activities, but you’re technically still on the clock since you asked for ‘extra practice’.” Suga is the only one standing and his eyes are studying their every movement. No one says a word or makes a move. “You’re arriving on the clock, and leaving early. Not talking to Yachi or whispering when she’s close, which is not nice. There’s also what Tanaka said about the message you sent him, and I just heard what you said.” Suga frowned, trying to figure out how it all fits together. _“Spill. How long has this ruse been going on for?”_

**Author's Note:**

>   
KETTLE!!!! KRUPS!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!
> 
> We present you with the man! The myth! The legend! The true nature behind _"Kacchan"!!_ (kettle + yacchan)  
You must be filled up on the situation by Annie's work!  
This present doubles as a makeup secret exchange and belated birthday gift!  
We love you, knowing that you were left out was heresy and so we worked to bring you something from our hearts.  
From our hearts and our chats lol, at least 64% of the chats here are based on actual conversations, and not even telling you about the scenarios! (we def need to screenshot them and show them to you)
> 
> Casually dropping almost 10k words may seem a bit overwhelming but if you check the chapter counter there is more to follow! :deviouskuroo: so stay tunned :deviouskuroo:
> 
> We promise to change the tags and actually format this as a normal fic and tone down the ominous lol but you know us, we're just That Extra™.
> 
> Lot's of love! Andy & Moche <3 <s>and Annie, May and Hass, without our combined dumbassery this wouldn't have been possible</s>


End file.
